I am often asked the question "What does a Life Coach do?" The generic answer is "A Life Coach helps move you from where you are, to where you want to be, with an action plan and accountability built in." I often compare Life Coaching to therapy in the sense that therapy is process oriented while life coaching is results or solution oriented. While all this is true, life coaching a still a very vague concept to a lot of people. Every coach is different offering their own unique gifts, abilities, and personality to the coach/client relationship.

To offer a clearer vision to the question "What does a life coach do?" I have put together a list of 7 Life Coaching Techniques You Can Use To Transform Your Life in 2019.

1. Learn to manage your state (State Control)

Managing your state is one of the most fundamental life skills you can acquire, and if you learn to master it, your life will be remarkably easier. The quickest and easiest way to manage your state is to change your physiology. In a Ted Talk called Your body language may shape who you are, Social Psychologist Amy Cuddy shares that if you stand in a victory pose for as little as 2 minutes your testosterone increases by a whopping 20%! So stand tall, with your shoulders back and smile. (It’s hard to feel depressed when you’re smiling)

The second way to begin managing your state is to shift your focus. Are you focused on everything going wrong in your life or everything that’s right? When you notice you aren’t feeling mentally or emotionally great, shift your focus to what you appreciate or what you’re grateful for. When you practice shifting your focus regularly, over time, you will begin to naturally feel happier.

Another way to begin managing your state is to change the meaning you give to any situation or circumstance. Oftentimes we tell ourselves disempowering stories about what we think is happening, which may or may not be true. If you lose your job that you didn’t really like all that much, is it the end or the beginning? Is it a tragedy or an opportunity to actually go find a job that you really enjoy? Change the meaning of the stories you tell yourself and you can begin to change your state.

2. Challenge/Change your beliefs

We all have beliefs about life that either empower or limit us. What do you believe about yourself or life that keeps you stuck or holds you back from becoming the person you want to become? Some common limiting beliefs are:

I’m not good enough

I’m not smart enough

I’m too old

I don’t have the resources

I might fail

I might succeed

There isn’t enough time

I’m not worthy

Usually, these limiting beliefs are just excuses we use to protect ourselves out of fear of being uncomfortable. Most people prefer to stay in their comfort zone because it’s familiar. To change a limiting belief into an empowering belief simply reframe it. For example:

Limiting belief- I can’t do XYZ because I might fail.

Empowering belief- If I don’t try to do XYZ that means I will fail. There’s really no such thing as failure just information and results to apply the next time I try. If I continue to try, eventually I will succeed.

3. Goal Setting

Learn to set long and short term goals in the 5 areas of improvement. The 5 areas of improvement are:

Health

Career

Finances

Relationships

Personal/Spiritual

You can start with a long term goal like a 10-year or 5-year goal and work backward. If you want to be doing X in 5 years, where do you have to be in 3 years? Continue with this process moving backward to 1 year, 6 months, 3 months and 1 month. You can now begin to set weekly and daily action steps to help you reach your goals. Schedule them in your planner. Now you know exactly what you should be doing to achieve your goals at any given time. Be as specific as possible when setting goals in each area. Results must be measurable so you know if you’ve reached them. For example ”I want to be happy” is not a goal it’s a feeling. How will you know when you’re happy?

The reason goal setting is an important part of life is because when we feel we are making progress mentally, emotionally, spiritually or physically it gives us a sense of purpose. When you feel you are living life with a sense of purpose, you will begin to feel happier.

4. Journaling

Journaling is a great way to release your subconscious thoughts and connect with yourself. I typically recommend writing when you first wake up and your mind is clear. Ideally, you would write 3 full pages pen to paper. Remember this is not something anyone else will read so don’t judge your thoughts. This process is simply to release your thoughts and let them go.

In all of my years working as a life coach, I have by far seen the most growth and transformation with clients who choose to try hypnosis. Although some people need multiple sessions to make the dramatic change they are looking for, I’ve witnessed life-changing transformations in less than an hour.

We tend to think we can change simply by using willpower but the truth is, the conscious mind is the least informed and the last to know. It is our subconscious that rules our world and it is much more powerful than most people realize. When you work with the subconscious mind, you have the ability to remove negative and limiting thoughts, feelings, emotions, and behaviors that no longer serve you and implement anything positive in its place. This technique can literally help you transform your personality to become the most confident and joyful version of yourself.

There are many benefits to a regular practice of meditating. Meditation is a great way to clear your mind, gain clarity, and reduce stress and anxiety. Many people find that after meditation they can more easily access creative ideas and impulses as opposed to overthinking.

NLP or Neuro-Linguistic Programming is an approach to communication, personal development, and psychotherapy created by Richard Bandler and John Grinder in the 1970s. Bandler and Grinder state that NLP methodology can "model" the skills of exceptional people, allowing anyone to acquire those skills. They also state that often, in a single session, NLP can treat problems such as phobias, depression, tic disorders, psychosomatic illnesses, near-sightedness, allergy, common cold, and learning disorders. Neuro relates to your neurology while linguistic refers to language, so NLP is like learning the language of your mind. Applying NLP is like gaining control of the operating systems inside of you so that you can make changes instantly.